Saturday, April 28, 2007

It's time for Phoney Bone to go through with his biggest scam ever. Everything is in place except Fone and Smiley Bone are missing. Also Thorn begins to understand what's going on in her dreams. Enjoy! Bauer out.Bone Issue #26

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The story continues from last issue with "Eight For Aduba-3." Looks like Solo has gotten into a little trouble. It doesn't hurt that a Wookie has his back though. Also look for Luke, Leia, and the droids to show up in this issue. What's up with the giant rabbit though? It must be an early version of Jar Jar. It would be wise for him to stay away from Solo. He gets irritated very easily. Enjoy! Bauer out.Star Wars Issue #8

"Star Wars" is so firmly ensconced in the pop culture firmament that its success -- in a movie universe a long time ago -- would seem to have been pre-ordained. But that was hardly the case.

As the movie celebrates its 30th anniversary, George Lucas will be joined by many of his collaborators at a special screening at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Goldwyn Theater on Monday. Simultaneously, Ballantine Books is publishing J.W. Rinzler's "The Making of Star Wars," which bills itself as "The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film."

More than just a promotional making-of book, Rinzler's account seeks to strip away a lot of the mythology about the movie's creation that has grown up over the years. Rinzler, an executive editor at Lucasfilm, was aided in that quest when he discovered a treasure chest of interviews that Charles Lippincott, Lucasfilm's vp marketing and merchandising in the mid-'70s, conducted with the film's principals between 1975 and 1978. They provided him with a contemporaneous view into the movie's origins, uncolored by its eventual success.

"Everyone's memories are somewhat faulty, and opinions have changed over the years," Rinzler explains. But the discovery of the old interviews allowed him "to do as close to an oral history as I could."

Among the forgotten aspects of the movie's production that he unearthed was a failed attempt to use front-projection, forcing the production to shift to bluescreen. Rinzler quotes Lucas saying, "The biggest change during filming was from front projection to bluescreen. We had shot the approach to the Death Star, but once we got the results, we realized it wasn't going to work."

In fact, the production was constantly fighting battles on two fronts. A skeptical 20th Century Fox whittled away the budget -- just four months before shooting was to begin in 1976, the studio shaved the production budget from $7.5 million to $6.9 million. At the same time, Lucas was constantly challenging his crew to come up with innovative solutions like John Dykstra's motion-control camera that defined the state-of-the-art.

But as Lucas was forced to fund most of the movie's preproduction, one of the suits, Alan Ladd Jr., then the studio's production chief, emerged as a hero. In October 1975, smarting from the failure of the big-budget "Lucky Lady" with Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli, Fox imposed a moratorium on further spending on "Star Wars" until its board met on December 13. Ladd persuaded the board to issue a greenlight.

But even on May 25, 1977, when the movie opened to lines that snaked around Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, no one involved was quite convinced that they were witnessing a pop cultural phenomenon. "Star Wars" bowed in just 32 theaters nationwide, and the only reason it was booked into the prestigious Chinese was that the release of William Friedkin's "Sorcerer," which had been set to play that house, had been postponed.

Lucas himself was holed up at the Goldwyn Studios, mixing down the film's 8-track stereo mix to monaural for its wider release. Ladd called him with the first boxoffice results. "Wait, calm down," Lucas told the studio boss. "Remember, science-fiction films do really great the first week, then they drop off to nothing. It's a good sign, but it doesn't mean anything. Let's wait a couple of weeks."

Turning to the others in the room, Lucas added, "The movie's only been released for five hours. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch."

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Batman fans will not want to miss this thrilling issue with the first appearance of villain Clay Face. Also the Joker makes his first appearane on the cover of Detective Comics, but does not appear in the issue. Very odd. It's only Robin's third appearance and he's already clinging for his life in this issue. Another issue from writer Bill Finger and penciler Bob "I'll take all the credit" Kane. Enjoy! Bauer out.Detective Comics Issue #40

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marvel Studios has confirmed that plans are underway to produce a Broadway musical based on Marvel's ever popular Super Hero, Spider-Man. Produced by Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment, and SONY Pictures Entertainment (billing in formation), the musical will be directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with U2's Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics for the project. A reading is scheduled to take place this summer. No dates for a Broadway opening have been confirmed at this time.

The Spider-Man musical will mark the first time a Marvel character has been the subject of a show on Broadway. In addition to co-producing the show, Hello Entertainment is arranging all financing for the project.

"Marvel continues to look to every entertainment medium to support the enduring popularity of our Super Heroes, and we are thrilled with the talent on board. The all star creative team -- led by Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge -- is second to none, and we are certain this project will delight fans of Spider-Man and new audiences alike," said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios, whose previous Broadway credits include spearheading the 1999 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Fosse.

This is part 4 to that highly entertaining stop-motion Star Wars film.I've been attempting to contact the creator of this film to ask whenthe final two parts will be uploaded to YouTube. You can e-mail thatperson at ImperialEscape@gmail.com and either write him/her that you'veenjoyed the film or demand to see the next two parts. At least part 4doesn't leave us at a cliffhanger. There's also some finality to the story.Imperial Escape was filmed by a high school freshman back in 1994. It'sgreat that at least the first 4 parts of this story have been shared.If the next two segments are eventually uploaded, you'll be sure to seethem posted at Jack Bauer's Headquarters. Enjoy! Bauer out.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

It's time for Phoney Bone to make a speech about doing some dragon slaying. Will Lucius tell the townspeople the truth about dragons now that everyone knows that dragons exist? Also Fone Bone sneaks around with his new friend. Enjoy! Bauer out.Bone Issue #25

Here's part 3 to the stop-motion Star Wars adventure Imperial Escape. Will Dathan and Jabin be able to escape the clutches of Darth Vader and his Imperial troops? Now that an elite guard from the Emperor's royal ranks is hunting down Dathan and Jabin, things should get very interesting. Click on the picture to watch. Enjoy! Bauer out.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

We all know what happened in the original Star Wars movie, but what did the Star Wars characters do between that time and The Empire Strikes Back? Han Solo and Chewbacca temporarily leave Luke, Leia, and the droids to go on a new adventure in "New Planets, New Perils!" Star Wars fans will not want to miss this one. Enjoy! Bauer out.Star Wars Issue #7

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two-time Academy Award® nominee Edward Norton has signed on to play Bruce Banner, who transforms into Marvel's renowned, larger-than-life Super Hero, The Hulk in Marvel Studios' action-packed, new big screen adaptation of THE INCREDIBLE HULK. The film, which is being directed by Louis Leterrier and distributed by Universal Pictures, is scheduled to smash into theaters on June 13, 2008.

"Edward Norton is a rare talent and one of the most versatile actors in the business. His ability to transform into a particular role makes him the ideal choice to take on the character of Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Edward is perfectly suited to bring one of the most popular and important Marvel icons to the big screen in a new and exciting way," said Kevin Feige, President of Production, Marvel Studios.

Under the visionary direction of Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed), The Incredible Hulk will return to the roots of the long-running comic series and television show.

The story unfolds when the pursuit for The Hulk - the world's most misunderstood, primal force of fury - heats up, finding Bruce Banner on the run attempting to cure his condition before his pursuers capture him.

Edward Norton is widely recognized as one of Hollywood's most multifaceted actors. Having appeared in more than 20 films to date, he has garnered numerous accolades, including two Academy Award nominations. He received a Best Actor nod for his portrayal of a former Neo-Nazi in American History X, as well as Supporting Actor recognition for his role opposite Richard Gere in Primal Fear. He will next been seen in Pride and Glory (co-starring Colin Farrell). Other film credits include: Fight Club, The Painted Veil, The Illusionist, The Score, 25th Hour, Frida, Death to Smoochy, and The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Bust out the old Star Wars figures! This video contains the first two parts to this cleverly entertaining stop-motion animated film. It has a solid action/comedy story and well done voices with the addition of the authentic Star Wars sound effects. The animation and story appears to gets better with every episode. And to think that this video has been hidden since 1994. All Imperial Escape episodes will be posted on Jack Bauer's Headquarters. Click on the picture to watch the video. Enjoy! Bauer out.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

In the fall of 2006 there was an Aquaman series proposed for the CW/WB network based on the DC Comics superhero. There was a 41 minute pilot created for the show, but the series was never picked up. This pilot was unaired so few people are aware of it's existence. Although I haven't watched it yet, I've read that's it's supposed to be entertaining. Ving Rhames of the Mission Impossible movies even stars in it so it's worth checking out. Thanks to community.allhiphop.com/ for uploading this episode. Download all parts to view the video. Rar files can be opened with free programs like WinRar. Enjoy! Everyone have an awesome weekend! Bauer out.Aquaman TV Pilot Part 1Aquaman TV Pilot Part 2Aquaman TV Pilot Part 3Aquaman TV Pilot Part 4

Friday, April 13, 2007

I love it when the pages of a comic book come to life. The second storyline to the comic book Bone is "The Great Cow Race." Telltale Games has released a video of the highlights from that great story by Jeff Smith. If you haven't read that story yet you can still find it on this blog at The Great Cow Race TPB. Click on the picture to watch the video. It's only 2 minutes. Enjoy! Bauer out.

Where did Lucius go? And what would Lucius do if he found out what Phoney and Smiley have done to his bar? Oh yeah, and the rat creatures are about to go on a rampage. Look for all kinds of mischief within these pages. Enjoy! Bauer out.Bone Issue #24

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Just in time for the new Spider-Man movie we have Spidey in his black costume! Spider-Man penciler/writer Todd McFarlane felt the need to bring back the black costume for two issues in 1991. This is part one to the storyline "Sub-City." After I post issue #14 later this week, I'll be posting all the Spider-Man issues that are key reading for Spider-Man 3. Let me be your guide through the long tangled web of history of your favorite wall-crawler. Make sure to bookmark Jack Bauer's Headquarters so you don't miss an issue. Enjoy! Bauer out.Spider-Man Issue #13

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

This is it! It's the finale to the Star Wars issues based on the original movie. Look for the slight story changes in these stories from the original Star Wars comic book series by Marvel. Issue #6 appears to be missing some pages. You would think that the original scanner would have scanned the entire issue. What's up with that? This will just have to do for now. Ka-Boom! The Death Star explodes. There are always cheap copies of Star Wars selling on EBay in case you want to read the complete issue. Enjoy! Bauer out.Star Wars Issue #5Star Wars Issue #6

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Zuracech Lordum wrote:"Hey Jack, please do be aware as to who deserves the proper credit for Batman. When Kane first came up with the idea of the character, he thought of a guy in reddish tights with two bat-like wings. This character was called "Bird-Man" by Kane.

At that time (back in the 1930s), Kane knew of a young and upcoming writer by the name of Bill Finger. Finger suggested adding cowls, gauntlets, a black cape, eyes without slits, the icon of the bat in his chest and the black and white scheme of the costume. Essentially, he transformed Batman from a comic Superman-like vigilante to the brooding, calculating and sinister hero that he became.

Why wasn't he given any credit? Back then only the artists used to get the credit for their creations and he didn't include Finger's name. Writers were paid only minimally and Finger was but a "ghost writer". Nevertheless, Finger scripted pretty much all the original stories until a guy called Gardner replaced him.

In effect, Bob Kane did nothing but draw. Later on, there was a huge outcry at the injustice delivered to Finger but Kane, through a series of lies and twisted stories, held on to the credit for Batman and earned millions while Finger died a poor man. Ironically, in the year after Finger's death, a law was passed whereby unrecognized contributors from the past would be paid their dues.

The Bat-Mobile, Gotham, Robin and Batman's alter-egos and histories, the Joker, the Riddler, many other villains and whatever is characteristic of Batman that the public loves was created by Finger. That little box at the corner of every Batman comic saying "Batman created by Bob Kane" is the biggest lie ever.

Bill Finger is truly an unsung hero.

Do check out:

http://www.ninthart.com/display.php?article=1113

There're many other articles on the web that elaborate on this. I earnestly hope that a day will come when Finger's name is included as well amidst all the movies, comics, merchandise and anything related to Batman."

Bill Finger has now been given his credit on this blog for creating Batman. You learn something new everyday. Bauer out.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

You may have noticed that creators Eastman and Laird left the regular series of TMNT after issue #12. Where did they go? Since the Turtles became so popular, Eastman and Laird not only kicked off an animated series and action figure line, but this new series of Turtles stories in 1987. Enjoy! See you next week! Bauer out.Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Friday, April 06, 2007

The dragons are coming! Or so Phoney Bone says to the townspeople. Life is good for Phoney and Smiley these days. But won't the townspeople want some results from them soon? And what about Thorn? Is she really in danger from the Lord of the Locusts? Answers lie in these pages. Enjoy! Bauer out.Bone Issue #23

Monday, April 02, 2007

The next part of the original Star Wars story begins on the Death Star with Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie in a jam of sorts. I'm amazed at some of the changes in this story from the original theatrical version. Look close Jedi. Enjoy! Bauer out.Star Wars Issue #4

Looking for more flash games? To make this blog more accessible to visitors with slower Internet connections, most of the flash games from Jack Bauer's Headquarters have been moved to my new blog Jack Bauer's Game Room. That blog will be updated weekly with download links from this site. You can check it out right now. Enjoy! Bauer out.